TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015 SPORTS Last week for managers as big clubs eye their talent LONDON: With just over a week to go and said it should be on Aug. 1, before with Wanyama. manager Tony Pulis, who left him out of Everton have been aware for some until the British transfer window closes any matches are played. The first three games have also Sunday’s home defeat by Chelsea. time of Chelsea’s interest in young for four months, several Premier League He is concerned about speculation exposed his team’s over-dependence on England defender John Stones, which is clubs are steeling themselves to resist linking his Senegalese winger Sadio striker Harry Kane and Pochettino con- TRANSFER REQUEST likely to have increased after the champi- raids on their talented youngsters from Mane to Manchester United and Kenyan firmed last week he wanted another for- A statement from Albion on Monday ons conceded seven goals in their first bigger rivals. West Bromwich Albion’s midfielder Victor Wanyama to Tottenham. ward. Without naming West Bromwich’s confirmed that the Burundi-born striker three games and now have captain and desire to hold onto striker Saido Berahino After Southampton’s 0-0 draw at Watford Berahino, who is widely believed to be was now pressing for a move. “West centre-half John Terry suspended follow- was underlined on Monday when they on Sunday he insisted “nobody is for the main target, the Spurs manager said Bromwich Albion have received a written ing his sending-off at West Brom. rejected a formal transfer request from sale”. One of the problems has been that at the weekend that “maybe in the next transfer request from Saido Berahino,” it Everton’s captain Phil Jagielka, who plays the England Under-21 international. playing three or four games while the few days we can strengthen the team a read. “The request has been rejected and alongside the 21-year-old Stones, said in But Albion, Everton and Southampton window is still open enables rich clubs to little bit more”. Tottenham’s chairman the club’s position remains unchanged interviews before Sunday’s defeat by fear new bids for players they have insist- identify weaknesses in their squad, Daniel Levy has a reputation for leaving from that outlined in the statement from Manchester City that the present system ed they want to keep. All three have criti- sometimes caused by additional injuries deals until the last minute and the selling chairman Jeremy Peace of August 18.” led to uncertainty and “unsettles people”. cised the way the window will still be or suspensions. club has little or no time to find a Peace had said, “We have no interest “I cannot get my head round why it works open four matches into the new Premier replacement. in selling Saido, which is what I have told the way it does,” he added. Everton man- League season, which started a week ear- MORE STRENGTH Albion have already paid a club record Daniel Levy. “I know we are living in an ager Roberto Martinez reiterated after the lier than usual because of next year’s Tottenham fall into that category and fee for a new striker of their own in age where no club can say ‘never’ about match how keen the club were to keep European Championship finals. manager Mauricio Pochettino, who was Salomon Rondon from Zenit St the possibility of selling a player. Stones. But like Pulis, Koeman and others, Southampton manager Ronald Koeman in charge at Southampton before leaving Petersburg. The continuing rumours “However the prospect of selling Saido is he faces an uncomfortable wait until described the Sept. 1 deadline as “crazy” last year, is reported likely to be reunited about Berahino, however, have annoyed simply not on our agenda.” 1700 GMT next Tuesday. — Reuters Sunderland eye League Cup LONDON: Sunderland captain John But having seen his side work their O’Shea has urged his side to use today’s way back into Saturday’s game at Palace, League Cup second-round tie at home to only to go down 2-1 to an 87th-minute fourth-tier Exeter City as a springboard Bakary Sako goal, centre-back Ciaran for the rest of their season. Clark says Villa can draw encouragement Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat from their latest display. “We did really found himself in the spotlight after his well to pull it back and with a couple of team lost their opening two league minutes to go it was just one of those games, but they stopped the rot by things,” he told the club website. recovering from a goal down to draw 1-1 “We’ll learn from that and we’ll move at home to Swansea City on Saturday. on to the next game. That’s all we can While Sunderland failed to win, it was a do.” Leicester City, flying high in the much-improved display and O’Shea is Premier League after three unbeaten hopeful that it will prove a turning point. games, visit third-tier Bury, while “We’ve Exeter now and we’d look to Newcastle United host Northampton win that and move on into the next Town and 2013 winners Swansea, also round of the cup,” the former Manchester unbeaten in the league, face York City. United defender told the Sunderland Second-tier Milton Keynes Dons, who website. created a sensation at this stage of last “Whoever you’re playing against in season’s tournament by humiliating the cup, if you have a home draw you Manchester United 4-0, entertain fellow want to get the win and move on.” He Championship representatives Cardiff City. added: “The negative vibe around United will enter the competition in because of such poor performances has the third round along with the seven not totally gone-we didn’t win, we got a other Premier League teams competing draw-but it’s something to start with.” in Europe, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Sunderland’s next league outing is at Manchester City and holders Chelsea, Aston Villa next weekend and Tim who beat Tottenham Hotspur in last sea- Sherwood’s side are also in need of a son’s final. TEL AVIV: Basel’s head coach Urs Fischer (left) and FC Basel’s player Luca Zuffi, attend a press conference ahead of the UEFA Champions League pick-me-up ahead of their encounter The third-round draw will be made play-off round second leg soccer match. — AP with Notts County of fourth-tier League after Everton’s home game with Barnsley Two. Having won at Bournemouth on the on Wednesday, when the Merseyside Premier League’s opening day, last sea- club’s centre-back John Stones, strongly Astana on the brink as son’s FA Cup finalists subsequently lost to linked with a move to Chelsea, will line Manchester United and Crystal Palace. up against his former club. — Reuters playoffs promise drama BERNE: Astana are on the brink of becoming the by their European standards, to defend a 1-0 who travel to Partizan Belgrade, both have 1-0 first Kazakh team to reach the Champions lead on Wednesday against Cypriot champions leads to defend while Sporting Lisbon take a League proper in this week’s playoff ties which APOEL Nicosia, surprise quarter-finalists in more vulnerable 2-1 advantage to CSKA Moscow promise to serve up the sort of drama and ten- 2011/12. “Astana’s victory doesn’t mean they and Celtic a 3-2 lead to Malmo. Malmo are sion often missing from the group stage. have more of a chance of going through than attempting to qualify for the second season run- Monaco, quarter-finalists last season, must we do,” said APOEL coach Domingos Paciencia. ning while Celtic want to avoid a repeat of last overturn a two-goal deficit at home to Valencia “We still have the game at home, where we will year’s dramatic playoff defeat by Maribor. in arguably the most attractive of the week’s sec- have our fans and good support.” If Astana quali- Defeat for Lazio, meanwhile, would mean ond leg clashes and Lazio defend a one-goal fy, it could create logistical problems for their that Serie A has only two group stage represen- lead at Bayer Leverkusen. With potentially mil- group stage opponents who would have to fly tatives for the second season in a row. lions of euros at stake, Tuesday and Wednesday’s several thousand kilometres across five or six Dinamo Zagreb, who host Albanian champi- matches promise unremitting theatre in contrast time zones to Central Asia for a midweek game. ons Skenderbeu with a 2-1 lead already in the to the group stage itself which has become little Valencia, who have missed out on the group bag, and Shakhtar Donetsk, who won 1-0 away more than a formality for Europe’s biggest clubs. stage for the last two seasons, take a 3-1 lead to to Rapid Vienna last week, look clear favourites Five teams will be defending a one-goal lead Monaco on Tuesday in a match which pits to progress. Maccabi Tel Aviv are well-placed to away from home and two more, Valencia and Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo against spring an upset after holding Swiss champions Manchester United, will have a two-goal cushion his compatriot Leonardo Jardim. FC Basel 2-2 away in the first leg. Revenge would to defend but with an away goal against them. Manchester United, for whom missing out on be sweet for Maccabi, who were knocked out of Only Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk, the group stage for a second season running both the Champions League and later the who won away in last week’s first legs, appear to would be unthinkable, lead by the same score as Europa League by Basel two seasons ago and be in for a comfortable evening.